Heat Waves, History and Homeschool

The Portuguese Summer Heat has set in. Projected temperatures are frightening when considering we have a few fans and nothing more to keep us cool. Even the little kiddy pool out back with it's mysteriously developed hole offers no hope of reprieve from the heat. One of the advantages to such heat is that when I hang out a load of wash, by the time I'm done with the last article of clothing, the first one I hung out is nearly dry! Which means I can get lots of clothes done in record time. I just sweat like a dog while doing it!




4th of July was fairly uneventful here. We didn't even see a firework, or smell the delicious aroma of grilled hamburgers and BBQ. But we did enjoy watermelon....



..and we tossed around the football.



This morning, in between going out to hang out laundry and blogging, I'm being a very mean mother. Summer school is in full force.



When we discuss what we do in the summer with our friends here, I am always met with frowns and disbelief. Other parents cannot believe I 'make' my kids do school work in the summer! After all, 'children are not machines', we've been told.

However, much to my shame and embarrassment, my 11 year old could not accurately tell how many stars were on the American flag when asked by a Portuguese man at church on Sunday. This man knew the correct answer and she did not. He also knew what the 13 stripes represented...and again...she did not.

Now, to her credit, she can correctly conjugate just about any Portuguese verb thrown at her and she fills me in on the history behind each of the 2,000 Portuguese holidays when I wonder why the stores are closed again for the third time in a week. This was one of the concerns when we prayed about whether to allow them to attend a Portuguese school, or continue to homeschool. The decision was made to go to school and to supplement during the summer with American history, English and any other necessary American teachings that they lacked. They actually enjoy it....other parents don't believe me though.

We've been told by another American missionary family who raised their children here and sent them to the schools that one day one of their children (teenager) came to them and asked, "Dad... now is Denver a city or a state?"

Don't laugh...hearing something like this hurts a parents heart. It's one of the struggles families raising children in a foreign country experience. This family shared this story with us as a way to encourage us. They told us to not be surprised when something like this happens cause it will happen. Well...I had my day on Sunday when Brooklyn could not tell or even guess how many stars were on the American flag....on our day of Independence no less......

So...with this all said...we keep on....We teach when we see opportunities. We encourage when they get frustrated. We smile and laugh when we don't know what else to do.......

So goes the Life of a Missionary Wife.

First day of School?

Update: The girls did great! The first thing Brooklyn said to me as we were leaving the school was, "Mom, I wish tomorrow wasn't Saturday, but Monday!" As we were all walking down the sidewalk, kids kept running up to the girls to say "bye". Liberty responded to one boy, "Bye, potato boy!". I said, "Liberty, why did you call that kid 'potato boy'?" She said, "Mom, all day he would come up to me and say...potato, chicken, rooster & banana....he kept saying potato over and over again!" I laughed, visualizing these boys and girls using the English that they had been taught. Even if it meant saying 'potato' over and over again!----And get this...usually the few kids in the neighborhood look at us funny, as if we're changing colors right in front of them. We've had a hard time meeting other kids for our children to play with. Well, today...two girls came to our house to play with the girls!! These two girls had seen our girls at school yesterday and one of them had played with our girls, so they came over today to play!! This is a really big step for us. Please pray for our children and the Portuguese girls, Carla and Clada.

Yesterday, my husband went to the local school here in our small village to discuss with them the "possibility" of our three oldest children attending next year. He wanted to see if they were prepared to have students who understood very little Portuguese. In America, any kid, no matter what he or she speaks is welcome in school. But we don't live in America. You have to do things their way around here, or they don't get done! So we wanted to know 'the rules".

Everyone who has asked why our children weren't in school this year thought it very odd that we "schooled at home". They have no idea what this means and would always ask if that's even possible to do here in Portugal. "Of course it's possible...we're doing it aren't we?!?" (That's what I'd like to say...)

So Michael walked down to the local school yesterday with Brooklyn. They took a short tour (it's a very small school) and talked with the director who spoke no English, but was a very friendly lady. They went into the 3rd grade classroom and met the teacher. All the kids called out to Brooklyn, using the English they had been taught..."Hello!" "Hello, my friend!" Brooklyn's response was, "Ola". (Which is the only way she knows to respond right now.)

Later when they returned home, Michael and Brooklyn both walked in with wide eyes and smirks on their faces. I was eagerly awaiting their return as I desperately wanted to know what the outcome of this meeting would be. Michael started off with, "Brooklyn, do you want to tell her or do you want me to do it? Brooklyn giggled, "You do it Daddy." Michael responded..... "They're going to school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow...!!" "No...not tomorrow...I'm not ready..."

"Why tomorrow?....schools almost out....they don't have 'school clothes'....I don't have snacks to send with them...I'm not ready for this...THEY'RE not ready for this...they don't speak Portuguese for goodness sake!!"---All these thoughts ran through my mind in less than a second.

After Michael told me how everything went while at the school it was determined that going to school today and all next week, which is the last week of school, would help them know what to expect next September.

After talking with Brooklyn, Faith and Liberty, I felt better because they were all pretty excited about going. Each had their reservations, but the excitement was to great to ignore.

"Maybe they were ready...maybe it's just me who liked the security of keeping them safe at home...shielding them from the sneers, giggles and cruelty of other children....Maybe it's time to test them...to see what they can do...to let them try to make it in a foreign place. They've seen their parents try to do it in a foreign place, so they know how to mess up.....I'm sure of that! But maybe they also learned how to do it with 'grace'."

Brooklyn's alarm clock went off this morning and within 3 minutes, she was dressed and standing at my bedroom door rubbing sleep out of her eyes telling me she was ready to go. She was so very excited.

Faith had her usual, "I don't really care" attitude. She's fine either way.

Liberty was a little sad acting with a worried look on her face. She got upset when we were trying to pick out a bag to carry her snack in. The one I chose was too big, she said. Liberty turned 6 in January. The average 1st grader in Portugal is 7 when he/she begins the year. So I'm concerned about her age. But when she left, she was fine.

So.....after much prayer and a few tears....this was our departing moment this morning. Michael took them. It's a 10 minute walk. I had to let him do it, cause if I had taken them I would have brought all three back home with me!

School in Full Swing

School is back in full swing. We've been back at the books for a few weeks now. I am really enjoying school, believe it or not. I am so thankful to be at home everyday instead of in a suburban driving down the highway with 5 sick kids and McDonald's for lunch again. We have a nice multi purpose room we use as a school room (not pictured above). I have a desk, and right now the kids sit on the floor, but they don't care. Hopefully we can find them a table or desks to work at.

The last few days have been interesting. There was a circus in our village this weekend. You could see the tent from our front porch. We thought with it being a "dinky" circus and not the Ringling Bros that we could afford to take the kids. Well, after we inquired further, we realized that we could NOT afford to take everyone, so we opted for a Saturday at the park. Everyone enjoyed it. Probably more than we would have enjoyed the circus anyway. Later that night after the kids were in bed, we could hear the music and lions roaring from the circus. I got scared just thinking about being there. So I am very thankful we didn't go.

Our battery has been trying to go out on our van. The last few times we drove it Michael, Brooklyn and Faith had to push me down the road so I could "pop" the clutch. What a sight we must have been to our already curious neighbors! "The Americans with 5 kids make their kids push the car down the road. " I can just hear it now! We replaced the battery today, so hopefully we won't have to do that anymore.

Faith has really enjoyed playing with the critters found in our yard. The picture above is an example what she's been playing with. I suppose she doesn't realize girls are supposed to think slugs are nasty! She lets these slimy things crawl up and down her arm! She names them and when they die, she gives them funerals. (Well, it's usually when Trinity steps on them.)

Home Sweet Home

Some of you have expressed interest in seeing the house that we are now calling "Home". Well, here are a few pictures of it that we took in December. It's just a matter of days and we'll be there. Praise the Lord!

Also, is a picture of the van we were able to buy. Vehicles in Portugal are EXTREMELY expensive. This 12 year old van would have cost, maybe, $3,000 here in the States. But in Portugal it cost over 4 times that amount!! Praise the Lord for His provisions. He has taken care of everything we've needed.

He called us to this beautiful country to share His perfect love with the Portuguese people. Please pray now, if you've not already begun, that the hearts of the people will be softened. That they would open up to us, and receive what we've come to tell them. The Portuguese love children. Pray that the Lord will use our children to open doors for ministering. There is a reason that God called us specifically to this specific country. It could very well be that all 7 of us are each instruments the Lord wishes to use. May we all be willing.

Does anyone want to know, "Why Portugal"? Leave me a comment if you're interested.

So True......

Admit it, Mom....If you've never said this, then you've at least thought it!